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Tuesday, March 10, 2009

To say I'm dreading watching the WTA's Indian Wells ladies' draw play out over the coming week or so is an understatement - maybe I'd rather have my fingernails pulled off.

With no Serena or Venus Williams in sight (due to their yearly, now tiresome boycott - isn't forgiveness a virtue in their religion?) and Maria Sharapova only committing to doubles after 7 months on injured reserved, here's what we're left with as the top 10 seeds (full draw here):

Dinara as the top seed is bent over, gut-wrenching, "you're killing me" laughable. I mean, she hasn't been able to put a serve in the box all year. And the rest of the list, maybe with the possible exception of teen queens Vika + Wozzi, are already members of the WTA's No Confidence Club. The other two haven't been around long enough yet to earn membership but let's take a wait and see approach, shall we?

I really have little interest in waiting to see which lady baller will grab this prestigious title by making the least amount of unforced errors and double faults.

22 comments:

Awesome post Rich -- too funny (well, actually too sad) b/c I was thinking the same thing about this tournament.

Heads-up ladies, if your last name isn't Williams, it is EXCRUCIATINGLY painful to watch you play; withdraw immediately from whatever sports psychology sessions you attend and enroll in the Nadal/Henin approach. I don't care how much talent/game you have, you have to COMPETE.

You are killing the WTA, no seriously, murdering it match by match. At this point, you barely deserve prize money, let alone equal prize money (ooops, oh yeah, I said it).

Wow, this was harsh and long-winded, can you tell how annoyed I am with these ladies. ;)

I agree that the top half of the draw looks like a yawn fest, with Safina, Kuze, and Zvonareva the highest seeds. But I think the bottom half has some potential - with Dementieva, Ivanovic, Jankovic, and some great young challengers like Cibulkova, Cornet and Kleybanova.

But I agree that overall, this tournament feels a little like the recent men's Dubai tournament - especially after Murray withdrew. Gonna think positive, though - Paris had my favorite final of the year - Dementieva vs. Mauresmo!

RiCH: Hilarious post. *Positive Patty alert* But maybe because (seemingly) everyone's expectations are so low and/or non-existent right now, maybe something magical will happen! I mean think of Dokic at the AO...something very cool could go down! You never know! Me, I have my eyes on Wozzy (LOVE) and Azarenka. I really hope these 2 ladies prove to be the real deal. If not at this tourney, at some point in the season...please! They're so young and (seemingly) so full of potential. Would be nice to see one of them step it up. Anyways, that's my 2 cents :)

I like that plan - I'll take on any 6, 7, 8-year old any day, any time, any place.

Bring it youngins!

In fact, their daughter Jaz Elle should just enter the IW draw, you know get a head start on her tennis career. She might win actually and become World No. 2 by year's end. I draw the line at ReRe - I think she could take the youngin.

I agree the top 10 bar the Williams sisters is in a little bit of a mess the fact that Dinara is the number 1 seed is a little laughable. I just think we are lacking the big stars and personalities we had 3 to 5 years ago. These girls also need to learn how to hit more than 3 shots in a rally in. Masha cant come back quick enough my excitement and care factor for the WTA has been so minimal the last couple of months if it wasnt for Venus and Serena I probably wouldnt be watching at all.

I think it is bullshit for anyone to say that the Williams sisters should forgive and forget. People were yelling out racial slurs before and after the match. It's more of the boycott of the people. I wouldn't go back to a tournament if stuff like that went down. Just face it people they are NEVER going back to Indian wells. I am rooting for Dokic or ivanovic. It'll be a sad day for womens tennis when the willams' retire.

I think it is bullshit for anyone to say that the Williams sisters should forgive and forget. People were yelling out racial slurs before and after the match. It's more of the boycott of the people.

The WS aren't the only ones in the world who've had racial slurs thrown their way (remember all the race riots at the Aussie Open this year and last?). If the WS are so emotionaly fragile that they'd allow one group of idiots get to them like that well then congrats to the racists, they did something few can claim to do: they won, they beat the Williams sisters. These insignificant band of losers wield enough power to control the Williams sisters for years, to make them bitter, and to control the scheduling of a tournament. Wow! That's an awful lot of power the sisters gave up to total strangers. I know I'd never allow anybody to have that kind of power over me.

I hate to say it, but I agree with your post. I am a long-time WTA fan but I honestly think if the women don't start putting up better tennis then equal prize money should be revoked (except for Venus and Serena who are the only women who show up to play the past few months). The women need to get it through their heads that their recent play is killing their tour. They need to toughen up and quickly.

Anonymous at 10:16PM:

ITA. Yes the Sisters had slurs directed at them and yes that's humiliating and made them angry, but what better way to get revenge then to go back, kick ass and make the racists eat their words. Arthur Ashe and Althea Gibson were denied entrance to many tournaments and clubs because of their race and they didn't whine and pout - they fought back and didn't "boycott" tournaments. They won and forced these places to accept them. I can only imagine the crap Althea Gibson heard on some courts or the crap Ashe heard when he played in South Africa.

Also, maybe if Venus doesn't pull out 5 minutes before the match was supposed to start, the incident would have been avoided.

It's amazing that some people really believe this is about the crowd and not the inept tournament directors.

Then again, everyone else knows what they should do and how they should feel. THEY should forgive and forget, but some people can't seem to do the same for them. They aren't playing and that's that. Why should someone give up their principles for an event that didn't care the slightest about them?

of course they aren't, but that situation with Indian Wells, being in the U.S. and with the history of white and black people, it made it way more different from other times of racism.... Its so cliche to say, but if you arent black, its very difficult to understand..like if anyone really wants to see how it was someone posted that match on youtube...